Re: [EE] Intentionally delaminating a PCB

You also might want to dye the copper or epoxy if you need better edge detection.  Not sure what dye to use, probably something that stains/darkens the copper surface.  

Possibly if really necessary, you could have it X-rayed as each layer is peeled off, this way you could use imaging software to stack, peel, and measure the traces with great precision, but probably not needed.  It would be useful for verifying how thick the cladding was in each layer, if the bulk x-ray isn't adequate for that where lots of traces and planes overlap.  I don't know if a CAT scan would resolve the fine features but it might, if the cost was worth it of course.  The PCB fabricator should have just the right X-ray imaging for this, since they normally use it to verify traces and solder joints (just the right energy level).

People have done much the same thing with silicon chips under electron microscopes, to steal designs (not sure how legal that was, and it would depend on when and where, and potentially why).



"Human beings are the only creatures on earth that claim a god, and the only living thing that behaves like it hasn't got one.  Does the world belong to no one but you?"  The Lobster in "The rum diary"


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On Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 at 2:17 PM, Neil <[email protected]> wrote:

> Great... just spoke with the company and both of these are already
> happening...
> One is the would-be-new PCB manufacturer who is going to x-ray it.
> The other is a machinist who says he can automate grinding it away the
> thickness incrementally and will automatically take pics on each pass.
> 
> Cheers,
> -Neil
> 
> 
> On 4/3/2025 4:09 PM, Jason White wrote:
> 
> > Consider spending the time to properly XRAY it first (get the exposure and
> > focus correct) before doing anything destructive.
> > 
> > A local machine shop could run it through a surface grinder very easily
> > (clamp it flat, then remove 5 microns per grinding pass in sections)
> 
> 
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